4 Reasons Print Is Alive and Well in Digital Era

A casual look around any public setting will reveal that most people are on their phones. The reason for this, is that digital media has become a big deal. Information about anything and everything can be gleamed online. Despite this fact, print is not dead; only the form content takes.

Most people would cite a lack of time as the main reason they no longer consume long-form content to the degree older generations did in the past. The demands of everyday life prevent most people from sitting down and reading a 1,000-page book. But, that doesn’t mean people are no longer reading. Most what’s being consumed online is text. The difference is that it’s customized to fit around the reader’s lifestyle.

Print media can still flourish if it adopts a similar tactic. Besides, printed media has a few advantages that its online counterpart lacks.

Standardization

Unlike information on a webpage, an article in a magazine can’t ‘break’. Articles published online have the potential to be unviewable if the code is changed, if the reader has certain apps installed, or even if the content isn’t viewed on the right device. Any of these issues is very frustrating to a reader. Printed media on the other hand, doesn’t have this problem. How it looks once it leaves the printers is how it’ll look in the hand of the reader.

No online risk

Full privacy and control is a huge advantage on favour of print. A problem with digital content is that there’s always a risk of getting hacked, or of having malware installed on your website. Either scenario can seriously damage the bond between your company and its clients.

No eye strain

Unlike a digital screen, printed materials will never have glare. This has two benefits: (a) It won’t hurt the eyes of readers, and (b) it won’t take as long for someone to read the material.

Print is taken seriously

Generally, printed material holds more authority than digital content. That’s because of the ease of publishing online. Anyone can say anything online, thus, a lot of incorrect information goes viral.

In the public eye, if something is printed, it holds more weight. Someone had to read the material before it could be published. The editorial layer is what makes printed material more trustworthy than digital.

Digital distribution may’ve hurt print, but it hasn’t killed it. There are some advantages unique to print that digital material can’t match. It is these advantages that make print a value-added option for businesses considering their marketing strategy.